Testing device for wetting agents



June 21, 1938. M. CO LBETH TESTING DEVICE FOR WETTING AGENTS Filed Dec. 23, 1935 5 m J 1 1 I 4 6 F 6 2 Z MW 7% W INVENTCR.

ATTORNEYS Fatented June 21, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE,

TESTING DEVICE FOR WETTING AGENTS Ivor M. Colbeth, East Orange, N. J., assignor to The Baker Castor Oil Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 23, 1935, Serial No. 55,694 ,i 2 J (on. 73-41) Claims. This invention relates to a device for testing vided near the lower ends of the legsof the carthe wetting power of agents which are g used to increase the ability for liquids to penetrate materials such as cloth or other textile products.

It is known that some wetting agents that are rier I and are aligned with the center of. the disc 12.

A coil spring I6 is mounted in the opening I4 and a bearing member I! having a conically taining the wetting agent is introduced into the used, for example to increase the rapidity with shaped recess in its outer end with a jewel bearing 5 which water penetrates textile and other mateat the bottom of the recess is placed in the openrlals, operate to start the penetration rapidly ing l4 against the spring 46. and after a certain amount of wetting has been A bearing member is corresponding to the produced the operation slows down, While other member I! is placed in the opening l5 and rests m wetting agents. do not begin their effect so against the end of an adjusting screw l9 that is promptly but continue in a more uniform or difthreaded into this opening which is threaded rerent manner during the remainder of the wetfor that purpose. A flanged roller is provided Ling time. with a shaft 2| fixed thereto. The ends of the By the present invention, wetting agents in shaft 2! are pointed and rest in the jewel bear- 15 lquids to cause them to penetrate the materials ings of the bearing members I! and 18. The adnore rapidly can be tested in such a manner as justing screw I9 is screwed up sufiiciently to com- .0 determine not only the initial wetting rate but press the spring I6 slightly and still cause the also the rate at which further,penetrationiinto roller 20 to be mounted in the jewel bearings in .he interior of the material takes place. In harsuch a way that only an exceedingly small force 20 'ying out the invention small samples of the tnais required to turn this roller in its bearings. .erial to be wetted can be tested rapidly and with A pointer 22 is rigidly attached to the shaft 2| 'ery little-4f any-waste of material. it or to an extension on the-roller 20 and extends The invention will. be understood from the on opposite sides of said shaft. The outer end iescription in connection with the accompanying of this pointer moves in proximity to the graduairawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side View of an illustions l3 on the disc I2. rative embodiment of the invention with parts A light endless chain or cord 23 is wrapped one :1 section; Fig. 2 is a view at right angles to Fig. or more times around the roller 20 with the reand Fig. 3 is a side view on an enlarged scale mainder of this chain or cord hanging down from If some of the parts. this roller. One side is provided with a ring 24 In the drawing, reference character I indicates and the other side with a ring 25 for a purpose I. tube that is preferably made of glass and is to be described. In this way the chain or cord :losed at the bottom, to be used as a container 23 itself does not tend to turn the roller in either or a liquid containing a wetting agent. A base 2 direction. 5 provided for the tube to maintain it in an up- A sample 26, such as a thread of the textile lght position. A weight 3 is shown in the tube l, material that is to be used in testing the wetting esting on the bottom thereof. agent, has one end thereof connected to the A base 4 is provided with adjusting screws 5 weight 3 and the other end is connected to the or the purpose of leveling the same. An upright ring 24. A scale pan 21 is connected to the other 'od 6 is anchored on the base 4 and is provided ring 25. Different weights 28 may be placed on it. 40

with a slide 1 that can be fixed in difierent posi- The operation is as follows: ions on this rod by means of the set screw 8. The chain or cord 23 is applied to the roller 2|) in arm 9 passes through the slide 8 and is firmly as shown in Fig. 3, the ends of the shaft 2|. are [61d in a horizontal position thereby. placed in the ends of the bearing members I! A U-ShaDed carried ID for bearings and other and I8 and the adjusting screw I9 is tightened nechanism is ri y upported at the end of the sufficiently to-keep the roller 20 in place, while .rm 9. A spirit level II is attached to the D1 at the same time it is very delicately mounted ide of the carrier ID for convenience in showing so as to revolve easily ith th pointer 22 near 'hen the screws 5 are properly adjusted for levelthe di c l2, .mg the device. One end of a sample or thread of textile mate- A disc l2. of metal or other material is atrial 26 is attached to the weight 3 and the other ached to the inside surface of one of the legs end to the ring 24. The weight 3 is dropped into I the U-shaped carrier l0 and graduations l3 the container l and the reading of the pointer re provided along its face near the edge thereof. is noted. Liquid, such as water, for example, con- Transverse openings l4 and I5 (Fig. 3) are procontainer I to a sumcient depth to immerse a predetermined length of the sample or thread 26 in the liquid. As the liquid containing the wetting agent penetrates the thread or sample 26, it will either expand or contract-depending upon the nature of the material-thus causing the roller 20 to turn in one direction or the other, carrying the pointer 22 along the scale I3. The observer notes the reading of the pointer 22 at intervals, say each five seconds, until this pointer ceases to move, thereby indicating that the liquid containing the wetting agent has completely penetrated the sample. An inspection of the readings or a curve plotted with the time and readings of the pointer 22 as coordinates will show the characteristics of the wetting agent.

Different sorts of wetting agents may be tested in different sorts of liquids, and samples of different sorts of textile materials may be used, and the container I may have the liquid in it before the weight 3 and sample 26 are introduced into this container.

I claim:

1. In a device for testing wetting agents, a

less flexible member passing at least once around 5 1 said roller for applying uniform tension to said sample while it is being wetted and means comprising a pointer associated with said roller and extending on opposite sides of the axis of said roller to indicate progressive change of length of '10 said sample as it becomes wetted.

2. In a device for testing wetti gagents, a A

liquid container, a weight for holding one endmi" a sample of textile materialwith which the wetting agent is to be tested in a fixed position in 15 said container, means comprising a roller and an endless flexible member passing at least once around s d roller for applying tension to said sample w 'le it is being wetted, and means comprising afipointer associated with said roller and 20 extending on opposite sides of the axis of said roller to indicate the change of length of said sample as it becomes wetted.

IVOR M. COLBETH. 

